Lacey's Christmas Journey

Four: Slipping on Ice

Brad White
I watched Lacey play Snakes and Ladders with Callum and Jade. She was good with kids, and that wasn't really required for her job. She was a counsellor at Prince George Secondary School.
"You remind me of Matt," Lisa said quietly with a smile on her face. "The way you are with Lacey?"
I gave her a small smile. "I don't think that's a good thing, Lisa. Matt screwed things with you and locked himself a drug dealer."
She chuckled and shook her head. "No, the way you are with Lacey, the way you treat her and look at her. That's how Matt used to be." Used to be? He's only helping Caroline because he needs a cover up, I know he still loves you.
"Well, if that's a compliment, thank you," I replied uneasily. "I love your sister, a lot. I want her to be mine, but... she lost her boyfriend in a car wreck on Christmas Eve. I'm surprised she even watches Christmas movies with me." I didn't want to bring up the subject–after all, it'd happened four years ago. Her wounds were still fresh.
"You don't have to settle down with her right away, Bradley. When the time is right, you two will just click together." She said, and to make things less serious, she added, "Whenever Aphrodite sees fit that Ladley becomes a thing."
I laughed. "Ladley? I didn't realize we had a name for a non-existent relationship."
She smiled and stood up. "It's getting late, kids. Go brush your teeth and change into your pyjamas."
Callum hunched his shoulders. "Awe, Mom!"
"Now, Callum, or I won't let Aunt Lacey or Brad come visit for two weeks." Lisa threatened.
Callum jumped up and ran to his room, stumbling heard for a few seconds and he rushed into the bathroom.
"Jade, go, now," Lisa hissed at her fourteen year old daughter. "I can go into your room and take away every single one of your electronics right now, Jadalynn. Go now."
Jade had been giving her parents a hard time the past few weeks, causing trouble and arguments between her two parents. She only listened when it involved Lacey coming over to visit.
"Jadalynn. Listen to your mother. I have no problem whatsoever with returning the Christmas gifts I got you." Lacey uttered sharply. That made her niece jump up right away.
Lisa groaned in frustration. "She is really pissing me off these days. And I caught Brian sleeping with another woman, in our own bed."
I made a tight fist as anger coursed through my veins. "Oh, really? I can go–"
"It's fine, Bradley, we're getting a divorce. I wasn't really in love with him anyway. I mean, Jade isn't even his and he doesn't spend time with Callum. I guess I only married him because my parents thought it'd be the right thing to do." Lisa said tiredly. Everyone knew that Jade wasn't Callum's full-blooded sister, but no one other than Lisa knew who her father is.
"I'm sorry, Lis," Lacey hugged her older sister. "It's getting late, we should back into town."
Lisa pulled me into a hug too. "Alright. Be safe. Brad, I know you procrastinate with shit like this, so I'm just going to tell you now–get your winter tyres put on soon or I'll drive into town and personally kick your ass."
I chuckled. "I've been meaning to do it. I think I'll go to the shop and get it done tomorrow." I hugged her once again. "Goodnight, Lis, have a nice sleep."
I slipped my leather jacket on, as well as my shoes, and followed Lacey out to her car after she exchanged another goodbye with her sister. "So, what do you say about going to the ice rink for a little late night slipping and sliding?"

************

After parking in front of the Civic Centre's entrance, we got out of her vehicle and made our way to the ice "rink" while trying not to slip on the black ice surrounding the actual rink.
"Again, how did you know about this place?" Lacey asked as she tried to regain balance on the pure white ice.
"Well, some of us do go look at the trees the Civic has. And some of us are into all things Christmas." I said teasingly. "And I was in the library one day and wanted to check out the library, and instead of walking through Patricia, I went out the back door, and found the rink.
I took a running start and slide across the ice, almost falling on my ass in the process, "It's a fun place. No one really goes on it though, so I don't know why it's iced over every year, but I like it..."
I stumbled across it when she first lost her boyfriend in that accident...
"You again, Mr. White?"
I lost my balance when I tried to turn and see who the voice belonged to. I cringed when I did. "Oh, hey, Bart. What's up?"
"This is Prince George, young man, and it's 10pm. You're dangerously close to the Hood, you know," Bart Sampson grumbled bitterly. He used to be the library's security guard, but after his girlfriend pressed charges for spousal abuse, he lost his job and became a bitter old man.
"I'm sorry, I forgot you lived in one of the bushes near here," I took Lacey's hand. "We were heading home anyway. I'll bring you coffee and breakfast tomorrow, here, at 9:30 to make up for it."
"Double-double," he said softly, and returned to his respective bush. That sounded weird, but it was quite normal for Prince George, actually.
"Who was that?" Lacey asked quietly as we slowly made our way back to her car.
"That's Bart Sampson. He used to be a security guard for the library, he loved his job there. He got to read while on his breaks, he was surrounded by books all day long. But when his girlfriend charged him for spousal abuse, he lost his job. He didn't want to settle down and have kids–her revenge was to ruin his life. And she has. He's lost his home, his family, all he has is me disturbing him every other night and bringing him breakfast every morning." I replied sadly.
"So that's why he's grumpy and bitter? He's homeless and jobless?"
I nodded, my voice dry. "Yeah... I offered him a place in my home, but he said he'd rather his bush over an over-heated home. He goes to shelters once it hits -30 though. I know they always have a bed for him over at ASAP."
"Well, it's good that he has you," she told me as she headed in the direction of my street. "I don't know very many people who would take care of a homeless man like that."